Medications for Genital Herpes

Medications can help control genital herpes symptoms and prevent some future outbreaks. Medications to control symptoms once they occur is called episodic therapy. Medication to prevent future outbreaks is called suppressive therapy.

Herpes are still contagious when medication is being taken. The virus can still be passed to others. Suppressive therapy may reduce your risk of infecting others, but it will not eliminate this risk entirely.

Episodic Therapy

When you begin to experience early symptoms of a genital herpes outbreak, you can take medication to control the severity and the duration of the symptoms. You take the medication only when you are experiencing the symptoms to make you more comfortable. The disadvantage of episodic therapy is that it may not reduce the risk of spreading genital herpes to your partner. This is because some outbreaks may not trigger symptoms.

Suppressive Therapy

Suppressive therapy is used to prevent future outbreaks of genital herpes. This involves taking the medication every day to help suppress or prevent the outbreaks before they occur. You may want to take suppressive therapy if you tend to frequently have outbreaks.

Revision Information

This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.